Saturday, May 7, 2011

After taking a short break from blogging, I'm back to report on my latest genealogy find!

With a little sleuthing, I was able to find out that one of my ancestors, SOLOMON BROWN b about 1746 Westchester Co NY, had made a will in 1821, and that it was available through the Westchester Co NY Archives. I sent for the will and whatever other papers they might have, and the packet arrived this week.

This BROWN family has always given me fits. There appears to have been several different BROWN families in Westchester Co NY in the colonial era--OR they are all different branches of the same family. Without access to records, it is nearly impossible to tell. They apparently lived in various places, from Ridgefield & Norwalk, CT to Salem and Poundridge, in Westchester Co NY.

In about 1772, SOLOMON BROWN married SARAH "SALLY" SLAWSON/SLASON who was born Oct 22, 1750 Stamford, Fairfield Co CT. She was the daughter of THOMAS SLASON & MARY BATES, both of Stamford.

Finally, I discovered on Footnote.com the Revolutionary War record of SOLOMON BROWN, noting that he served in the NY Militia, Crane's Regiment from 1779-1781--as did all of his brothers, sons of ELIPHALET BROWN Sr & THANKFUL WOOD:

Lt BENAJAH/BENIJAH BROWN who married SARAH WEED

ELIPHALET BROWN Jr who married REBECCA SLAWSON/SLASON

TIMOTHY BROWN who married MERCY SLAWSON/SLASON

Also in this regiment were his brother-in-law STEPHEN SLAWSON/SLASON, who married sister THANKFUL BROWN, and JESSE BOUTON, a neighbor whose children later married SOLOMON BROWN's children.

WILL OF SOLOMON BROWN of POUNDRIDGE, WESTCHESTER CO NY (transcribed by me from copy of original) written April 19, 1815; proved Nov 1821.

-In the name of God Amen. I SOLOMAN BROWN of Poundridge in the county of Westchester and the State of New York, being weak in body but of sound and perfect mind and memory (blessed be God therefor) do this nineteenth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifteen make and publish his my last will and testament, in manner and form following, that is to say--

--First will and order that all my just debts and funeral expenses be paid by my Executors herein after named out of my personal Estate.

--Item--I give devise and bequeath unto my son SOLOMON all my homestead farm and lands adjoining, containing one hundred acres or thereabouts, to him and his heirs and assigns forever, and also all my personal estate except as aforesaid on the conditions and limitations following-- that he pay to my daughters MATILDA and SALLY each whenever they shall marry a sum equal to what I have heretofore given any daughter married, not exceeding one hundred dollars and supporting my daughter NANCY during her natural life.

--Then I do will and order that my wife SARAH have her reasonable maintenance our of my Estate so long as she remains my widow in lieu of her dower, and that my said daughters MATILDA , NANCY and SALLY have a home in my house with my said wife and son SOLOMON so long as my said wife remains my widow.

--Item I do give, devise and bequeath unto my son SAMUEL one undivided half of that tract of land situate in Poundridge whereon my son ISAAC lives, containing about twenty acres, to him and his heirs and assigns forever. And I do give the other half to my said Executors in trust to hold during the natural life of my son ISAAC (xcept the sum of Fifty dollars which I order my said Executors to pay out of the same towards the support of my said daughter NANCY, or other legacies herein bequeathed , and I do order my Executors to apply the use of the residue of said half towards the maintanance and support of my said son ISAAC and his family during his natural life and at his decease to sell the same and divide the monies equally among his surviving children, as son as they in their discretion may think proper.

--Item I do further order that in case of my daughters that have been married and shall not have received as a portion articles not amounting to one hundred dollars, that they be made equal to that amount out of the share herein given to my son SOLOMON.

--Lastly I hereby nominate and appoint my son SAMUEL and my friend EZRA LOCKWOOD Executors of this my last Will and Testament. In writing whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written.

8) MATILDA BROWN born about 1799; married WILSON BOUTON; apparently both were dead by 1834 and their two sons ROSWELL BOUTON age 12 & WILSON BOUTON Jr age 10 made their maternal uncle SOLOMON BROWN Jr their guardian, as per court records, Westchester Co NY.

9) NANCY BROWN born about 1800; married unknown. She may have never married, as her father indicated that she should have provisions from his estate for the rest of her life.

RHODA, ELIZABETH & THANKFUL are not mentioned directly in the will, but SOLOMON does make provisions for his "daughters that have been married" to receive the same $100 from his estate that his other children were to enjoy.